Seed Savers Exchange is revisiting the gardening legacy of Neil Lockhart in the latest episode of its “Sowing Connections” podcast. The archived conversation explores how one gardener’s passion for tomatoes grew into decades of seed preservation and international friendships.
Lockhart began saving seeds before joining The Exchange with Seed Savers Exchange in the early 1990s. The organization says he grew up in a family of gardeners and has spent more than 30 years “growing, saving, and sharing seeds” while connecting with fellow seed savers around the world.
A collection built around tomatoes
Over the years, Lockhart assembled a collection that included thousands of tomato varieties. Through The Exchange, Seed Savers Exchange’s online gardener-to-gardener seed swap, he traded seeds with gardeners near and far and helped keep rare varieties in circulation.
The episode also examines how easily a plant variety can nearly disappear. Lockhart reflects on the excitement of rediscovering a nearly lost tomato and on the role a community of growers can play in bringing such varieties back into cultivation.
Seed Savers Exchange says the conversation was originally recorded in 2022. Its chapters cover the opening, welcome, an archived segment titled “A Passion for Tomatoes,” which begins at 2:00, and the closing at 34:33.
What gardeners should know about seed exchanges
The episode’s glossary explains that the organization’s Yearbook is its annual printed gardener-to-gardener seed-swap publication, while The Exchange is the online version. A “Lister” is someone who offers seeds through either platform. The older term “Listed Member” referred to a Seed Savers Exchange member who offered seeds through the Yearbook; since 2015, membership has not been required to list seeds in The Exchange.
Seed Savers Exchange also reminds people exchanging seeds across borders that they are responsible for following the seed laws, regulations and treaties of both countries. The organization says sending plants or cuttings between countries without proper permits and certificates is illegal, and that seed entering the United States must be accompanied by a USDA Phytosanitary Certificate.
For small-scale gardeners, the organization points to the USDA’s free Small Lots of Seed permit. The permit allows up to 50 seeds of 50 different varieties per shipment and is valid for three years. Applicants must complete USDA PPQ Form 587 and follow the agency’s instructions.
Listeners can find the episode through Seed Savers Exchange’s podcast webpage, YouTube, Apple Podcasts and Spotify. The organization also directs gardeners to The Exchange and its website for more information.